Nowhere To Go
by Chris Bailey
Summary: Ever wondered what happened to Wedge and Biggs after FF8? Find out here.....


An FF8 fanfic by Squall_2  
  
Note: Thanks to Kaloos and Zell's Girl (Steph) for the inspiration. To show my thanks,  
I dedicate this story to them.  
  
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:This is a story set after the end of FF8.   
It follows the fortunes of two Galbadian soldiers you may be familiar with.....  
  
Nowhere to go. (Part 1)  
  
  
In a bar, in a city known as Galbadia, there sits a man. He is still   
dressed in his blue Private's uniform, not knowing what to do next.   
Why had he gone along with that crazy idea? Sure, the army pay he had   
been on wasn't much, but at least it was some sort of income. Now?   
Now he wasn't sure what to think. Stuck in bar, with his only real   
friend, if you could call him that. It had been that guy's idea to  
quit the army, during the Lunatic Pandora incident. He didn't know   
why he had gone with him. Maybe, despite his failings, he still   
respected him. Or maybe it was because he didn't know what else to   
do. Either way, he thought, it could be considered a good thing that   
he did. After Adel was defeated, everything fell apart. That damn   
punk that was their superior had vanished, and Lunatic Pandora crashed   
back into the sea. They were lucky to have escaped.   
But all that was in the past. Now they were stuck here, jobless,   
almost broke, with no idea about what to do next. A voice called over   
from the bar. His friend, and old Captain.   
"Hey, Wedge! What do you want to drink?"  
Wedge cringed. He hated to be identified with the guy, but the two   
were stuck together. Fate has some cruel twists, he thought.  
"I'll have the same as you Sir!" he called back.  
"Hey! No more of that 'Sir' stuff y'hear? We 'aint in the army any   
more!" He spoke with a slurr that was brought about by his mild   
drunkenness.   
"It's Biggs from now on OK?"  
Sure, that was what he said now, but he would still think of himself   
as a superior. That was the way his mind worked. Biggs gradually made   
his way over to where Wedge was sitting.  
"Drink up, we're moving out soon!"  
Wedge sighed. He should have seen this coming. Biggs always had some   
stupid plan to 'help' their situation. Like the time he decided to   
volunteer them for prison duty in order to get them their old positions  
back. And what had happened? The same kids from the comm tower had   
shown up. They had been demoted again after that. And the schemes   
always were even more outlandish when he was drunk. On the other   
hand, Wedge thought, things can't get any worse. He decided to hear   
him out.  
"Where are we going?" He dreaded the reply.  
"Pack up your things, we're going to the casino!"  
Not as bad as he was expecting, but with several obvious flaws....  
"Uh, sir......you just blew the last of our cash on these drinks.   
How are we going to get cash to play with? And what if we don't win?"  
"I'll think of something! Don't worry!"  
Those words struck fear into Wedge's heart. Every time Biggs said   
that, things always got worse. Now they were at rock bottom, the next   
thing that would happen was probably death......but Biggs had always   
complained that Wedge was a pessimist.  
  
  
He knew where they were headed. On the far side of the city there was   
a place known as 'the silver bowl' - a popular place with the more   
successful soldiers. Wedge had always despised those types. He was   
sure that the lack of pay for privates like he used to be was made   
up for by the 'bonuses' often awarded to those higher up the command   
chain. He was sure that Biggs agreed, if only because he once openly   
challenged General Caraway with that very accusation. When he added   
that bit about the General being such an unpopular s*d that his own   
daughter joined a resistance movement (once again he was drunk at the   
time), the General snapped and they ended up fixing the comm tower.   
That was what triggered their downfall.  
  
The silver bowl came into sight. It was a large place, colourfully   
decorated. As ever, it was filled with the shouts of the winners   
and the moans of the losers. Then there were those who came just   
for the casino girls. Wedge had to admit, he could see the attraction   
there. What ordinary guy couldn't? For the lowly Privates such as he   
used to be, it was a place to escape the turmoil and hopelessness of   
their existence. For commanding officers it was a place to blow their   
bonuses. For lonely guys it was a chance to speak to some beautiful   
women. But today, the shouts were less common, and the crowds more   
dispersed. Wedge knew why. During the parade for Sorceress Edea, SeeD   
had made an assassination attempt. As a result, not many people wanted   
to go through the clock tower gateway any more, which leads to the   
bowl.  
  
The bowl was right in front of them now, but they still had no money.   
He dreaded asking the obvious question, but it needed an answer.  
"Sir, we still don't have any money. How are we going to use this   
place?"  
"No worries, Wedge!" came the reply. "I've got a plan! And don't   
call me sir!"  
"Sorry sir - I mean Biggs. But what exactly is your plan?"  
"We're going to become the first set of casino GUYS! Whadda ya think?"  
It took a while for this proposal to sink in. On the one hand, it   
involved the total removal of all their dignity. On the other hand,   
they didn't have any dignity left anyhow, and it WAS easy money. And   
working with the casino girls was a definite plus point.......  
"Let's do it!"  
"Alrighty then! Let's go!"  
  
The two of them strode into the casino with a sense of purposefulness.   
Wedge stoppped a moment to take in the atmosphere. The interior was   
brightly lit, with a crowd of gamblers. The crowd wasn't as big as   
before in here either, Wedge noticed. He recognised a couple of the   
crowd though. There were a couple of Galbadian soldiers that he   
trained with, before Biggs got them transferred. He recognised a guy   
by the slots too, but he couldn't place him.... Some guy in a   
trenchcoat and cowboy hat. He knew the girl he was with too. She wore   
a short yellow dress and had brown eyes and hair.......but he couldn't   
fit her in either. By the time he stopped thinking, Biggs had alredy   
gone ahead. When Wedge caught up, pushing past various punters on the   
way, he was just in time to see Biggs in discussion with the casino   
owner. When Biggs saw him, he feared what he was about to say, but was   
also curious.  
"Hey Wedge, guess what? I got us in! From now on we're casino workers!"  
Oh well, thought Wedge, it could be worse.....  
  
* * * * *   
  
Wedge leaned on his plastic spear and sighed. he should have known it would  
turn out like this. It always did. Wedge looked down at himself in  
disgust. How could he sink so low? Dressed up as some sort of ancient warrior  
for the amusement of the punters. He was freezing. The costume wasn't exactly designed  
for winter warfare, he thought. If this is what the ancient warriors dressed like, then  
no wonder they had upgraded to the current militia. He shuddered to think what   
battles must have been like in the snow. Most of the casualties would have fallen to   
frostbite rather that being run through with a sword. He looked across at Biggs,  
on the other side of the entrance to the silver bowl. Biggs was loving it.  
He was the centre of attention, just the way he liked it. Now Wedge   
understood why he had signed them up here. He only wanted the attention.  
  
They had been there about a month when it happened. Wedge would come to look back  
on this day with a sense of utter regret. He had just managed to get used to the uniform too.......  
The crowds in the casino were starting to pick up again. Wedge was sure  
that most of them were his old service buddies who had come to gloat. But  
he didn't care now. Not any more. Wedge had started to get to know one of the  
casino girls, pretty well too. She was a bit shorter than him, with long black hair that came   
down to about his waist. From what he had gathered, she was fairly handy in  
a fight too. The rumours were that one guy had got a little too 'friendly' and had left  
with a broken nose, two cracked ribs and a shattered forearm. She initially felt  
sorry for Wedge, and could see how his entire life was controlled by Biggs. As  
time went on, the two had become a lot closer. For the first time in his life since meeting Biggs,   
Wedge was truly happy. But then, as ever, something had to happen to screw it all up. And once again, it was  
all Biggs' fault.....  
  
The day was just like any other. The usual swarm of punters, the usual smart-*ss comments  
about Wedge's costume. Then the casino received an unexpected visitor. General  
Caraway. The room fell silent when he entered. The usual signs of respects were made, salutes were  
given, then he signalled for everyone to carry on. Wedge looked across at Biggs to say something about  
this unusual visit. Then he saw it. That look. He had seen that look before, it was the same expression that  
Biggs had worn when he had lashed out at Caraway almost a year ago. Before Wedge could stop him, it was   
almost too late. Biggs was already boiling over with rage. He blamed the General for everything that had gone  
wrong in their miserable lives. If the General hadn't vanished into the crowds, Wedge swore that Biggs would   
have gone for him. Wedge allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. If Biggs HAD gone for Caraway again,  
they would have been exiled from Deling altogether. And that was a situation that Wedge couldn't  
bear to think about, for he planned to ask his new-found love to marry him that evening. He had it all  
planned out perfectly - candlelit dinner, violin players, he was gonna go all out on  
this one. For once, Biggs had done something right. He caught a glance of her at the blackjack table, and  
shot her a smile. She beamed back at him. Wedge loved that smile. It reminded him of sunbeams. Wedge   
started thinking, about how much he had changed. He would never have thought like that three months ago, but  
since he met her, he had become the hopeless romantic. Biggs had picked up on this, and was ensuring that  
he never missed a chance to fire off some sort of wisecrack. Before they might have bothered Wedge, but  
now everything was perfect. Wedge took the ring out of the pouch he had dangling around his neck. It was  
perfect. He had had it made up specially. It featured two hearts entwined by a long green vine. She would love  
it, he could tell. He looked over at Biggs, who had now calmed down. Biggs caught a glance of the ring, and   
walked over.   
"Hey Wedge, you didn't tell me you were gonna ask her the big one! I'm gonna be best man right?"  
Wedge looked at Biggs. Sure, he was a bit of a jerk, but he always meant well.  
"Alright Sir. You are going to be my best man!"  
"ALRIGHT! But STOP CALLING ME SIR!!!!"  
As soon as Biggs had finished this sentence, a gunshot rang out.  
  
The crowd began a mass stampede, it was all that Biggs and Wedge could do to prevent themselves from being   
taken with it. When the casino was cleared, there were only a few people left. Wedge and Biggs were still there,   
as were all the casino workers, General Caraway and his bodyguards were there and so was a lone man. He had   
a pistol, but it was obvious that it wasn't his preferred weapon as he wasn't holding it correctly. He appeared to be   
some sort of hired assassin. Then he drew his regular weapon. A gunblade. But not an ordinary gunblade. This one  
was somehow sleeker, more streamlined, and was black. The man had short hair and was wearing a tattered old  
coat. Wedge recognised him, but wasn't sure where from.  
"Time to die......sir!"  
The assassin advanced.  
"You! But....I heard you died! You can't be here!". The General was panic stricken.  
"Sorry to disappoint you General, but I'm very much alive."  
"Almasy! No!"  
Almasy? That name...he was the punk who was given control of the Galbadian army during the reign of sorceress   
Edea! Now Wedge knew the face. Biggs knew it too. If there was one type of person he hated more that the   
General and his buddies, it was guys like him who got promoted ahead of him. This time there was no restraint.   
The guy known as Almasy had finished his advance and was fighting the General's bodyguards. As one fell, Biggs  
made his move. The fallen guard had dropped his machine gun, which Biggs grabbed. He started blasting, but  
was out of practice. Some of his bullets went wild. Two went towards the Blackjack table....  
  
"Nooooooooo!" screamed Wedge as his only loved one slumped to the ground. He ran over to her and held her   
in his arms.  
"No" he sobbed, but it was too late. She was gone, and there was nothing he could do to save her. Not save her,   
he thought, but he could avenge her. He drew his sword. He had always carried this sword. He never trusted the  
army issue weaponry, so they couldn't take this away from him when they quit. Biggs was still letting off shots   
with no thought to aiming them anywhere. Wedge reached Almasy before he could make contact with Caraway.  
He slashed at the assassin, badly wounding his left arm.  
"Aaaaargh!" Almasy let out a scream of pain. Determined to get the job done, Almasy ran his blade through   
Caraway, before turning to face Wedge.  
"I'm gonna meet you again"  
"Count on it"  
"Never forget the name Seifer Almasy!" Following this brief exchange, Seifer made his escape, dodging the   
bullets fired by the still battle crazed Biggs. Wedge ran back over to the corpse of his lover.  
"Why? Why did this happen?"  
Biggs realised that there was no-one left to shoot, and ceased fire. He surveyed the damage.  
"Oh man! This is NOT good! We're gonna be in the s**t this time Wedge!"  
"Shut up! Just shut up! None of it matters any more! None of it!"  
"Hey man, calm down. It's not as if it was our fault you know?"  
"Oh no? Who fired the bullets? WHO KILLED HER! Answer me that SIR!"  
Biggs stepped back, shocked by this outburst. Wedge had never spoken to him like that before. While he was   
thinking, the guards arrived.  
"Freeze!"  
"Oh man." Biggs thought about the situation for a second. The entire place was shot to hell, General Caraway was  
dead and here he was with a gun. Not good.  
  
  
A week later, they were walking along the road leading away from Deling City. Wedge had been right. They had  
been exiled. Wedge was still silent, as he had been ever since the incident. He was in deep thought. In his heart,   
he knew her death had been Biggs's fault, but he couldn't bring himself to hate him for it.  
Despite the fact that it was Biggs who fired the shots, if it hadn't been for that damn Seifer kid....  
Wedge swore to get even. He didn't care how, or where, he just needed to avenge her. And, loathe as he was to  
admit it, he needed the help of Biggs. He turned to look at him. He was striding along happily. It took  
a lot to get Biggs down, and Wedge admired him for it, while at the same time realising that an attitude  
like that could be dangerous. He then realised that he didn't know where they were headed.  
"Uh, Sir? Where exactly are we going?"  
"We're off to Winhill! I heard they got a couple of real cushy jobs going there!"  
Wedge thought this over. If they went to Winhill then he would problably end up staying there, unable to track   
down Seifer. On the other hand, to find him he needed money. And where was he going to get that without a job?  
  
They reached Winhill two weeks later. Biggs was excited about the prospect of finding an easy life, but  
Wedge just wanted some real food. After a fortnight eating nothing but the few Caterpchillar that they  
had managed to kill, he was dying for a good meal.He looked around the town. There wasn't much her at all, at   
least not where they had entered. There was a large building to the north, which Wedge decided must be the town   
hall or some sort of mansion. To their left there was some sort of flower shop. Two small children were playing   
'tag' near that. Directly across from the two newcomers was a run down old building that looked like it hadn't been  
lived in for years. Next to that was a sight that made Wedge's face light up like a lamp. A pub. Real food. Biggs had  
seen it too, and although he tried to appear macho in front of Wedge he couldn't help himself gazing hungrily at it.  
They made a bee line straight for it.  
  
The sight that greeted them was a dismal one. The bar was empty and loked almost  
abandoned, save for the white flowers that ornamented every table. Wedge took a closer look at the one nearest   
to them and was fascinated by it. It obviously hadn't been watered or even moved for a long time, yet it still looked   
fresh. What the hell was with these flowers? Before Wedge could speculate further, an old woman walked down   
from the floor above.  
"Yes? Can I help you?"  
"We wanna job! I heard you got a couple going?"  
That was Biggs all round. No time for such crucial factors such as subtlety, just dives straight on in there. Ah   
well, he thought, it had usually worked before.........  
  
* * * * *  
  
Wedge took a moment to reflect. He had plenty of time after all. God  
forbid they might actually get a customer. He looked back on what had   
happened since their hiring at this run-down old pub. Biggs had used his  
natural 'influence' over people to confirm their places. The pay here   
wasn't great however, and Wedge was beginning to doubt if they would   
ever leave here. He took a small box out of his pocket and stared at the   
content. It was the ring that he had planned to give to his lover at the   
casino, before she died.....A tear came to Wedge's eye. He thought about that brief  
period of happiness he had enjoyed before that incident. As he thought,  
a name came to him. Seifer Almasy. Granted, technically her death had been  
Biggs' fault, but it was Seifer he blamed. It was Seifer he would make   
pay, with the same toll that he was suffering himself. There were those  
that would have said that Wedge was sinking into madness, but this was no concern  
to him. All he cared about was revenge. If Biggs wanted to come along then  
he could, if not then it was one less matter to worry Wedge. He looked  
across at his former Captain. Biggs loved it here. At this moment, he was  
drinking the beer from the tap, which Wedge thought was the only reason   
he was here. Biggs loved the free beer, the sole attraction of this place.  
But if they were here, then there was no way to make Seifer feel pain.  
  
The first thing Wedge had to do, even before they left, was to find out where Seifer  
was. He had an idea about that. If the guy was hired to kill Caraway, then  
it was likely that he would strike another high-ranking official next.  
And who was the most obvious target? The answer was simple. The obvious  
target was the ruler of the largest city in the known world - Esthar, ruled  
by one Laguna Loire. If whoever was hiring Seifer wanted to strike down   
powerful figures, then he was the obvious choice. The only problem was  
that they were currently on the other side of the world from Esthar. There  
was no way that he was going to get out of here on his current salary,   
and he had used all of his cash from the casino job to buy the engagement  
ring. He needed one hell of a stroke of luck to get to Esthar.....  
  
The stroke of luck he needed was just a few days away. Word was going round that  
the world famous Squall Leonheart was coming to Winhill - apparently to visit  
the grave of his mother. This was the break they needed. Wedge knew that Squall   
would travel on that giant red dragon-shaped ship they always used now. Wedge   
had heard about what happened last time Leonheart came here. It had been all over  
the news back home in Galbadia. Word was that he had been kidnapped - apparently by  
a sorceress cult. Wedge had always insisted that that theory was wrong - he was  
proved right when it was discovered that the hero had gone to visit his mother's grave  
here in Winhill, but didn't want anyone to know about it. This time it was a more 'official'  
visit. He would no doubt have his companions with him this time, making it more   
difficult to gain entry to the craft. But still, if he could sneak aboard that ship....he   
could guarantee that they would eventually go to Esthar. All he had to do now was wait....  
  
*********  
  
Three days passed before they arrived. The whole village turned out to see   
the Ragnarok arrive - it was the only entertainment they were likely to get for   
a long time. Wedge was hiding in the shadows - or at least was trying to. It   
wan't easy to be discreet with a moronically drunk Biggs in tow. He saw  
Squall go down the pathway leading to the town's graveyard. He had a few of  
his companions with him too. A girl he didn't recognise, dressed in blue, a  
guy dressed in a trenchcoat and cowboy hat. Following them was a guy he DID  
recognise. The guy from the comm tower and the prison. The spiky - haired jerk  
that had caused them to be demoted twice. He had to ensure that he kept Biggs  
from seeing him - he was uncontrollable at the best of times, so Wedge   
didn't even want to think about what he would do if he saw this guy while   
he was drunk. One thing was certain - it would blow their chances of getting   
to Esthar.  
  
They waited until the crowds had dispersed and stealthily crept on board the  
Ragnarok, Biggs singing quietly to himself. Wedge heard someone coming from   
down the corridor and ducked into the adjacent doorway, dragging Biggs in too.  
Biggs peered out of the small window fixed into the door, eager to see the cause   
of Wedge's discomfort. It was a tall woman dressed in an orange outfit. Biggs  
Biggs fell back in amazement. Even through his drunken haze he recognised her.  
Not from the desert prison, but before. He couldn't place it though.....  
  
Wedge looked at Biggs, an expression of surprise on his face. He had never seen Biggs  
like this before. He looked - almost serious. Like he was remembering something from   
a long time ago....but he dismissed this as an effect of his drunkeness. Biggs hauled  
himself to his feet - and promptly collapsed. Wedge let out a sigh of relief. They were  
on their way. Now all he had to do was keep them hidden until they next landed -   
hopefully in Esthar. He looked down at Biggs, sleeping like a baby. It wouldn't be  
too hard to keep him hidden now. He sat down next to him to sit out the journey. A few hours  
later Wedge felt the ship move. They were taking off. He allowed himself a small sigh of   
satisfaction, safe in the knowledge that he would soon be able to exact his revenge upon   
Seifer......  
  
**********  
  
Wedge stirred from his slumber on the floor of the storeroom with a start. He felt   
something - a bump of some kind. He realised what it was - the landing. They were in Esthar,   
or at least he hoped they were. He looked down at Biggs, who was starting to awaken and emit   
low groans brought about by his hangover.  
"Ugh.....where the hell are we? This 'aint Winhill......" Biggs was clutching his head and hauling  
himself to his feet.  
"We're in Esthar Sir. We flew here last night"  
"It's too early for that 'Sir' crap. And why are we in Esthar? That musta been one helluva night....."  
Wedge decided against telling Biggs how they had got to their present situation. It would   
just lead to more trouble than they needed. All he needed to know was that they were   
there. Wedge took a moment to think. They had made it, all they needed to do was stay hidden   
until Seifer made his inevitable appearance. And in a city this size, that shouldn't be too   
hard. He escorted Biggs out into the corridor and left him propped up against the wall while   
he scouted around for any sign of the crew. Biggs watched his colleague wander off down the   
hallway and thought about the face through the door. He couldn't remember clearly, a drunken   
mist was clouding his memories of last night. But the face he saw was vivid in his mind. He   
recognised her, that much was sure. He knew she had fought them in the desert prison too. But   
he felt as if he knew her before that, somewhere buried deep in his subconcious. From his   
childhood? He couldn't remember much of it, in fact he couldn't remember anything before he   
was about twelve, the date he had come to Galbadia for military training, when he first met   
Wedge. It was possible she was a long lost memory........  
  
Wedge returned, obviously out of breath. He called down the corridor.  
"It's clear sir! We can leave now!"  
Biggs hauled himself upright and slowly made his way towards Wedge. Together they left the   
Ragnarok and emerged into the blinding sunlight of an Estharian morning. Wedge looked around.   
There were people everywhere, all going about their daily business. It was fortunate that they   
were no longer in their uniforms, or they would have been spotted instantly. After the Lunatic   
Pandora incident Esthar had made its attitude towards Galbadians vrey clear. Still, they needed   
to find some clothes that allowed them to fit in. With what little money they had, they purchased   
a set of the traditional Esthar robes and rented a small hotel room. Wedge looked out of the   
window in their small room. He was amazed at how advanced the landscape that stretched before him   
was. The shopping arcade was of a completely different style to the one back home in Galbadia.   
Here, there were no stores, just panels that you touched to select your items, and a small tray   
that emerged to collect cash. This was only ever used for visitors though. Every Estharian citizen   
has their own credit account, from which the amount needed is deducted via a screen that the customer  
places their palm on. The computer reads the palm print and deducts the required amount. He looked   
in the opposite direction. He could see the huge Presidential Palace towered above the rest of the   
landscape. It was the largest, most inpressive building he had ever seen. It was mainly blue, just  
like the rest of the city, with decorative gold areas. Wedge planned to take a closer look at it in  
the morning. They needed to find some way to get inside, as in that building was the President of  
Esthar - Laguna Loire - and Seifer's next target.  
  
***********  
The sun was blindingly powerful, shining into Wedge's eyes. himself and Biggs were lying in wait,   
watching the road ahead. Word was that Laguna was going to travel back to FH to pay a visit to the   
docked Balamb Garden. He wanted to personally thank them for the role they had played in the defeat   
of Ultimecia. Wedge had also heard a rumour that someone had successfuly infiltrated the city, and   
the army were finding it impossible to track down the offending party. Wedge knew what this meant.   
Seifer was here, and this road the most obvious oppourtunity for him to strike. Biggs had agreed   
to help on the condition that they tried to head back to Winhill afterwards. Wedge had agreed, after   
all he intended to kill Seifer this time around so he would have no reason to stay.  
  
Laguna, accompanied by his two companions, the large mute guy and the tall, somewhat skinny guy, came   
into view. Laguna always refused to have armed guards, despite the warnings of his advisors. He trusted  
everyone too much - that was his biggest problem. As they passed the spot where the duo were hiding, two   
tranquiliser darts could be seen hitting the necks of the two other men.  
"Kiros! Ward!" The President let out a surprised cry. A dark figure in a tattered coat dropped from the  
skyway above. Seifer.   
"What the hell?" Laguna was fixed to the spot. Seifer raised his gunblade to strike - when the sweep   
was blocked. Wedge had leapt from his hiding place and was now positioned between Laguna and Seifer.  
"You?!" The expression on his adversary's face told Wedge that he hadn't expected to see him again.  
"I'm your shadow, asshole. So long as you still take in air, I'll be here to make you suffer."  
Seifer grinned.  
"I'm gonna do the same to you as your buddy did to that slut in Deling.....  
That tore it. Wedge was already seething with rage, but that comment made him snap. He swung his sword  
round in a mighty arc, before slashing Seifer's arm. Seifer dropped to the floor.  
"You're gonna pay for that. You're gonna PAY!" Seifer leapt back onto the skyway with supernatural force,   
narrowly missing the blow from Wedge that would have been fatal had it connected.  
"You're gonna PAY!" Seifer ran along the skyway and out of sight. Wedge returned his sword to its sheath.  
"I'll be waiting......."  
Laguna returned to life from his frozen state.  
"Y....you saved my life. W....who are you?" Biggs started to say something, but Wedge cut him off.  
"I'm nobody sir. Just think of me as a venegful soul........"  
  
************  
  
Crowds of Estharian citizens had gathered at the city entrance to see the ceremony. The two heroes that had   
saved the life of their beloved President were going to be decorated for bravery in a large ceremony. The  
President himself was going to present the medals, along with his grateful son. The crowds parted as they  
official procession approached the platform where Wedge and Biggs were standing. First came President Laguna,  
followed by his advisors, Kiros and Ward. Next came the nationsl hero Squall Leonheart, son of the   
President. He was accompanied by two of his closest companions - Rinoa Heartilly and Zell Dincht. After them  
came the official staff from the presidential palace, with the official Estharian military band. As Laguna   
approached the platform, a huge cheer went up from the audience. Then, as he was about to present Biggs   
his medal, a lone voice was heard.  
"HOLD IT!!" One of Squall's companions, Zell, vaulted onto the stage.  
"I know these two! They're from Galbadia! They were in the Galbadian army during all that 'Lunar Cry' and   
'Lunatic Pandora' stuff! They were ON Lunatic Pandora dammit!" A low murmer emerged from the crowd. It  
started as confusion, then changed to rebellion. They surged forwards. Laguna tried to stop them.  
"Wait! They still saved......" He was drowned out my the noise of the mob. Wedge turned to look at Biggs.  
"Run sir."  
The two ran towards the city entrance, heading for the car rental. Wedge leapt into the waiting car, closely  
followed by Biggs. As the hovering platform took them out of the city, Wedge could hear the crowd at the spot where  
their transport used to be. They burst out of the city, speeding across the desert. All that Wedge could think of was   
getting as far away as possible. Biggs turned to look out of the back.  
"Uh.....Wedge......." Wedge turned briefly to see what had got Biggs' attention. He let out a surprised gasp.  
Following them was what looked like the entire Estharian army in cars similar to their own. Wedge turned back   
and pressed his foot down hard. They were in a wide open desert? How the hell were they gonna get out of this  
one? A bullet shot through the back windscreen. Damn, thought Wedge, this is all I need. There was only one   
way to go now, there was only one way that wasn't completely closed off by the Estharians. South. The pursuing   
cars were gaining fast. It would need some pretty fancy moves on Wedge's part to ensure their escape. They   
approached a large cliff, which had a small gap, car-width, through the middle. Despite the screams of protest   
coming from Biggs, Wedge went for it. They burst out the other side, a lot of cars still following. The odds were   
better now, however, as most of the cars that had dared to follow them had crashed into the sides. Then Wedge   
screamed. The wall of transparent plates that protected Esthar from discovery was looming in front of them.   
There was only one thing to do. Wedge put his foot down to the floor. The plate in front of his shattered, as   
did the plates that ther pursuers drove through. But up ahead was theor largest problem. The ocean. Wedge looked   
around for a soulution, which came to him when he saw the shape of Cactuar Island on the horizon. The Estharians   
had been planning to research rumours of a giant cactuar on the island, and had begub to construct a temporary   
bridge. Wedge swerved towards it. As they reached the halfway point, he realised the flaw in his plan. The bridge  
was incomplete. There was only one thing to do. Biggs fainted with terror as he realised what his companion was   
planning. As the car sailed off the end of the bridge, only two chasing cars dared to make the leap with them.   
Wedge and Biggs landed on the island, still accelerating. One of the other two cars landed safely, but the other   
plummeted the 30 feet into the water. The one remaining driver allowed himself a self-stisfied grin. They were   
on a small island. There was nowhere to go.  
  
***************  
  
The sand in front of the fleeing car began to be displaced. Wedge sighed. Quicksand. They were doomed. He   
closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were flying through the air. He looked back and say a huge   
cactuar with a posh looking moustache standing where the supposed quicksand had been. It must have surfaced   
and sent them flying. Wedge let out a laugh as he saw theire last would - be captor drive straight into the leg of the  
giant and explode in a huge pillar of smoke. Wedge and Biggs landed in the middle of yet another desert, still   
accelerating. Wedge tried to press down on the brake, but it refused to have any effect. He looked at his fuel  
gauge, half full. All he had to do was keep steering until they ran out of fuel. Over the next few hours they drove   
through a mountain range, past a large yellow -looking ruin and nearly falttened a forest full of chocobos. As the   
car ground to a halt, Wedge and the now recovered Biggs stepped outside. Opposite them was an old, run-down   
building near a lighthouse. Wedge turned to look at Biggs. His face was in the same expression it had been in   
during the flight in the Ragnarok. Did he recognise this place? Biggs walked slowly towards it, old memories   
trying to surface.....  



End file.
